Middle English Dictionary Entry
grẹ̄s n.
Entry Info
| Forms | grẹ̄s n. Also grese, grece, grise, grice. |
| Etymology | From grez , greis, pl. of OF gré a step. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. gre n.(1).
1.
(a) A step, stair; song of greses, one of the Gradual Psalms; (b) pl. stairs in a flight, a flight of stairs.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)71/17 : His heued he wolde legge adoun opon þe harde ston, Ope one grece bifore þe Auter.
- c1390(?a1300) Stations Rome(1) (Vrn)20 : A feir Munstre men mai þer se, Niȝene and twenti greces þer be.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)3724 : Yre haþ kast þe yn þys kas Anoþer grece to helle pas.
- c1400 St.Anne(1) (Min-U Z.822.N.81)301 : Bot xv greces þan stude yt hegh, Þe temple or þai suld yt negh.
- (1412) in Salzman Building in Engl.488 : A hegh awter..with thre greses acordaunt thare to, the largest grese begynnyng atte the Reuestery dore.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ps.119.1 : The title of the hundrid and nyntenthe salm. The song of greces [vr. greces, either steyris; L graduum].
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ecclus.6.36 : And if thou seest a wijs man..thi foot trede on the greeces [vr. grees; L gradus] of his doris.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)52/17 : On the right syde as men gon vpward xviij greces [F degreez].
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)108/30 : Þis ilke toure was twlue cubytez hye, and by twelue grecez men ascended þare-too, and þase greez ware all of golde.
- (1448) in Willis & C.Cambridge 1355 : I haue deuised..vj grecis to be before the high auter, with the grece called gradus chori.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)23.415 : He say..Ligeng vppon A grees [F un degres] Of ston, A wondir blak lof.
- c1450 Capgr.Rome (Bod 423)42 : Up on to þis are þe fayrest greces of white marbil þat be in þe world for þere be..ui scor and eyte.
- (?c1450) R.St.Edmund in Archaeol.42404 : j new dore, xij d.; j new grece, xij d.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)78 : This Pope went down into the erde a hundred grecis and fifty.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)57b : A grece: hic Gradus.
- a1500 Mirror Salv.(Beeleigh)p.39 : Salomones Throne was with sex greces exaltate.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ex.20.26 : Þou schalt not stey up by greesis [L per gradus] to myn auter.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.3234 : Sche gan anoon by greces to ascende Of a tour in-to a hiȝe pynacle.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)52/22 : And on þeise greces [Eg: þis grece; F ces degrez] wente oure lord whan he bare the cros on his schulder.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)179/10 : As he wolde a comyn down of hys chambyr..he slederyd er ellys faylyd of hys fotyng & fel down to þe grownd fro þe gresys.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)332 : Þe renke..Gase him doune be þe grecis a-gayn fra þe sale.
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)29.188 (v.1:p.201) : Stondyng vpon the grecis [L gradum], he seid to hem boldely ...
- c1460 Cursor (LdMisc 416)10588 : A steiar there was of steppis xvne..This may but of iije yere old Went on the grecys I ere of told.
- (1463) Will Bury in Camd.4920 : A deseueraunce maad of stoon wal..to parte the litil botrie vndir the gresys.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1026/19 : He wente downe uppon grecis and cam unto the tombe.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)77/147 : Þis is A mervelyous thynge..A babe of thre ȝer age..to come vp þese grecys.
- a1500(?c1378) Wycl.OPastor.(Ryl Eng 86)420 : Þey gon not to heuene bi greesis þat god haþ ordeyned to lede þidur, but þey wolen fle bi þe fendis craft.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)279 : He..yede upon the greces, and whan he was above he asked after Gawein.
2.
(a) A flight of stairs, staircase; (b) ~ fot, the foot of a flight of steps.
Associated quotations
a
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)811 : Þanne a-ros sche raddely..& gan doun bi a grece into þe gardin.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)10584 : At þis temple..A grece [vr. greese] þar was of steppis fijftene.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1590 : Þe lady..Glydes doun by þe grece and gos to þe kyng.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)52/23 : Vnder this grees [Eg: þis grece; F ces degrez] is a chapell.
- c1440 Degrev.(Thrn)1375 : Vp at a grese scho hym lade, To chambir scho hym broghte.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)56/36 : Þe sege..was vii seuen cubetez heghe..and a grece of seuen greez was made þare-to.
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)1994 : Thorow the halle and down by the grees [vr. gryse], In-to the court streyght yede he.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1676 : At the tother hede of þe halle was, hegh vppolofte..An auter..Goond vp by a grese..Twenty pase vp pight all of pure cristall.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5050 : Oure kynge leues, And he gose doun be grece agayn to his tentis.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)350/19 : He had no noder place to lig in bod vnder-nethe a grece in þe howse of a cardinall.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)2276 : Mak the inner wal wel lower then withoute, That esily..ascende Me may vnto the loupis..Or by an esi grice hem to defende.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)3.115 : Tarquinus metenge the kynge, caste hym downe of a grete greece [Trev.: staire; L gradus].
b
- 1637 Doc.in Wordsworth Stat.LC [OD col.]Part II, Vol.III, 395 : Quadam muliere manente apud ly grecefote Lincoln.
- (1451) Lin.DDoc.50/25 : I will..ye reclus of ye grese fote at lincoln haf my roll of prayers.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 *Medulla (Hrl 2257)14a/a : Coclia: a high rounde toure [Stnh: a rund tron], a shelle of a fyssh, or a turn grette [read: grecce].
Note: New spelling (error)